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**StarDust Bum** · 09-29-2015, 04:14 AM

Preview: Blue Jays (91-65) at Orioles (76-80)
Game: 2
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: September 29, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

A little over a year ago, the Toronto Blue Jays had to watch the Baltimore Orioles celebrate a long-awaited division title at Camden Yards.

Their chance to exact some revenge has arrived.

With a magic number of two, the Blue Jays need a win over the Orioles and a little help Tuesday night to clinch their first AL East title in 22 years.

Toronto had the misfortune of being the opposition when the Orioles wrapped up their first division title since 1997 with an 8-2 victory on Sept. 16, 2014.

The teams have reversed roles this season, with the Blue Jays (91-65) having already secured a playoff spot and on the verge of their first East crown since 1993. Baltimore (76-80), meanwhile, is battling for third place and needs to win its final six games to post its fourth straight winning season.

The Blue Jays rallied for their 35th comeback victory in Monday's series opener, scoring twice in the eighth and once in the ninth for a 4-3 win. Edwin Encarnacion hit his 36th home run for Toronto, which has won five in a row and will be hoping Boston can beat the second-place New York Yankees for a second consecutive night.

'We can win any way possible,' said Justin Smoak, who knocked in the winning run with a slow roller to first. 'This team is unbelievable. Guys fight to the end.'

Also on the Blue Jays' agenda is finishing with the best record in the AL and securing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. They are one game ahead of Kansas City.

Baltimore's offensive woes continued Monday as all its scoring came on Ryan Flaherty's three-run homer in the second inning. The Orioles had been shut out in each loss during a three-game sweep to the Red Sox over the weekend, and have scored in only one of their last 37 innings.

'Part of that is you have to credit the other guy who is on the mound,' catcher Matt Wieters said. 'We've had some tough pitchers."

Producing runs won't get any easier with Marcus Stroman (3-0, 1.89 ERA) on the mound for Toronto.

The right-hander has provided the Blue Jays with a huge boost since making his season debut this month. He's been outstanding in his past two starts, allowing one run and 11 hits over 14 innings in beating Boston and the Yankees. Stroman limited New York to five hits over seven innings in a 4-0 victory Wednesday.

'That was really the perfect game for him to pitch in,' manager John Gibbons said. 'It was a big game, a real big game and he came through.'

The right-hander makes his first start against the Orioles since Sept. 15, 2014, when he threw at Baltimore catcher Caleb Joseph, drawing a five-game suspension. Stroman pitched four scoreless innings in relief against the Orioles 11 days later to earn his first career save.

Miguel Gonzalez (9-11, 4.85) returns to the mound for Baltimore after missing a month with right shoulder tendinitis.

The right-hander is 0-5 with a 7.46 ERA in seven starts since his last win July 25. He lost his third consecutive start in his last appearance Aug. 30 at Texas.

Home wins have been even harder to come by for Gonzalez, who is 0-4 with a 6.81 ERA in seven outings at Camden Yards since May 19.

Gonzalez, though, will be facing one of his favorite opponents. He allowed one unearned run over 7 2-3 innings in a 6-1 win over the Blue Jays on May 13, improving to 5-0 with a 0.98 ERA in his last six meetings.

Encarnacion is just 3 for 25 in this matchup, but each of those hits left the park.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blue Jays at Orioles
Mon, Sep 28 Final 4 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Blue Jays at Orioles
Tue, Sep 29 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Blue Jays at Orioles
Wed, Sep 30 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Blue Jays at Orioles
Thu, Oct 1 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-29-2015, 04:16 AM

Preview: Red Sox (76-80) at Yankees (86-70)
Game: 2
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: September 29, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

If the New York Yankees can get past their likely initial hurdle in the postseason, Michael Pineda may be worthy of getting the call in their second playoff game.

Pineda is unbeaten in five starts this month and has dominated the Boston Red Sox ahead of Tuesday night's contest at Yankee Stadium.

New York will welcome back Masahiro Tanaka on Wednesday, and the ace will likely start in next week's AL wild-card game.

Pineda (12-8, 3.99 ERA) would be a good choice to start a division series if New York advances based on how he has pitched this month. He improved to 3-0 with a 3.14 ERA in his last five outings by yielding one run in six innings Thursday for a 3-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

"Everything is working good, I'm happy," Pineda said.

The right-hander is 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA in five starts against Boston since joining the Yankees, going 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in two this year. David Ortiz is 2 for 12 against him, Mookie Betts is 2 for 9 and Dustin Pedroia is 1 for 7. Xander Bogaerts has enjoyed the most success in this matchup for the Red Sox, going 4 for 10.

New York (86-70) still has work left to clinch a berth after losing 5-1 in Monday's opener of this four-game set. The Yankees are close to elimination in the AL East race, trailing Toronto by five games with six left.

They have scored three runs or fewer five times in a 3-3 stretch.

"It's something that you go through and you know that eventually you're going to break out and break out in a big way and we need to do that," manager Joe Girardi said.

Brett Gardner is the AL's worst hitter since the All-Star break with a .203 average, Brian McCann is second at .209 and Alex Rodriguez is also among the worst in the league at .216.

'You're going to have hot streaks and cold streaks. Right now we feel like we are battling. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to put good innings together,' said Carlos Beltran, who is in a 2-for-15 slump.

McCann figures to be back in the lineup after giving way Monday to backup catcher John Ryan Murphy.

Boston will start Rick Porcello (8-14, 5.04), who has baseball's third-worst ERA.

Some Yankees hitters may welcome this matchup. Jacoby Ellsbury is 11 for 21 with four homers off Porcello and Beltran is 7 for 15.

Porcello is 0-2 with a 5.29 ERA in three career starts at Yankee Stadium. He pitched well the lone time he faced New York this year, yielding three runs - one earned - over eight innings with a career-high 13 strikeouts in a 3-1 home loss Sept. 1.

Boston (76-80) seeks a season-high fifth straight victory. Betts doubled twice and rookie Travis Shaw had a two-run homer among his three hits Monday.

Bogaerts was 2 for 4 and is hitting .384 in his last 17 games.

New York remains one win shy of becoming the first AL franchise to reach 10,000 in the regular season.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Red Sox at Yankees
Mon, Sep 28 Final 5 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Red Sox at Yankees
Tue, Sep 29 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Red Sox at Yankees
Wed, Sep 30 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Red Sox at Yankees
Thu, Oct 1 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-29-2015, 04:18 AM

Preview: Mets (89-67) at Phillies (59-97)
Game: 1
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: September 29, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

New York Mets manager Terry Collins gave all of his regulars a day off as a reward for wrapping up the club's first division title in nine years.

With home-field advantage in the NL Division Series on the line over the final six games, that's not likely to happen again.

Bartolo Colon looks to win his fifth start this season against the Philadelphia Phillies as the Mets try to extend their franchise-best road winning streak Tuesday night.

The Mets (89-67) clinched their first NL East title since 2006 with Saturday's 10-2 win over Cincinnati before a host of youngsters completed a four-game sweep with an 8-1 victory Sunday.

Dilson Herrera hit a two-run homer and rookie Kevin Plawecki added a solo shot for New York, which has won a club-record 11 straight on the road. It became the first NL team in the modern era to score at least three runs in 31 consecutive road games.

"A lot of those guys want to be on that postseason roster," Collins said. "I think some of those guys in there today said, 'I'm going to show that I belong.'"

The lineup will look more familiar in this contest as the Mets focus on beginning the NLDS at Citi Field. They're guaranteed to face the NL West winners and currently have a slim lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the race for home-field advantage in that series.

Colon (14-12, 4.15 ERA) looks to help improve those odds. He's 4-1 with a 1.65 ERA in six starts and one relief appearance during a stretch that began with seven scoreless innings against the Phillies on Aug. 26.

He beat Philadelphia with eight scoreless five days later and has won all four of his outings against the Phillies this season. The right-hander is 7-1 with a 2.78 ERA in eight starts against Philadelphia over the last two years, and the Mets have won 14 of 16 meetings this season.

The Phillies (59-97) will finish below .500 in three straight seasons for the first time since a run of seven consecutive years from 1994-2000. They'll need to win four of their final six to avoid their first 100-loss season since going 47-107 in 1961.

Philadelphia won two of three at Washington over the weekend after scoring eight runs in the ninth inning of Sunday's 12-5 victory. Jeff Francoeur hit a two-run homer to tie it in the eighth, and Andres Blanco hit a two-run shot in the ninth.

Francoeur, Blanco and Freddy Galvis finished with three hits apiece. Francoeur went 1 for 24 with 15 strikeouts over his previous 11.

"It's about time Frenchy did something," manager Pete Mackanin said with a laugh. "We were all over him. I asked him to try to do a little better today, and he did."

Mackanin hopes David Buchanan (2-9, 7.96) can continue improving as well. Buchanan is 2-4 with a 7.45 ERA in eight starts since being recalled in July but has been better over his last two, allowing two runs in six innings of a 4-0 loss to Washington on Sept. 15 before giving up one earned in five innings Wednesday against Miami.

The right-hander is 0-3 with a 4.44 ERA in four career starts against the Mets, including a loss April 14.

New York infielder Juan Uribe hasn't played since he aggravated a chest injury Friday. Collins isn't sure if Uribe will play for the rest of the regular season but is holding out hope he'll be ready for the NLDS opener Oct. 9.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Phillies
Tue, Sep 29 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Mets at Phillies
Wed, Sep 30 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Mets at Phillies
Thu, Oct 1 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-29-2015, 04:20 AM

Preview: Cardinals (99-58) at Pirates (95-62)
Game: 2
Venue: PNC Park
Date: September 29, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Another injury hasn't prevented the St. Louis Cardinals from inching closer to another NL Central title.

After grinding out a victory in the opener of a critical three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cardinals can clinch their third consecutive division crown and first 100-win season since 2005 Tuesday night at PNC Park.

St. Louis (99-58) reduced its magic number to two with Monday's 3-0 win over the second-place Pirates, scoring all its runs in the ninth inning and overcoming 10 walks by its pitchers and a frightening injury to Stephen Piscotty. The rookie was carted off and spent the night at a local hospital for after a violent outfield collision with Peter Bourjos in the seventh.

"I don't know if there is a game that would define it more than this one all season," manager Mike Matheny said. "We had our backs against the wall every single inning."

The Cardinals announced during the game that Piscotty sustained a bruise to his head when struck by Bourjos' left knee.

Piscotty's injury came on the same day St. Louis announced that catcher Yadier Molina will miss at least the rest of the regular season while recovering from a partially torn ligament in his left thumb.

The Cardinals did receive good news regarding ace Adam Wainwright, who could be available as a reliever as soon as Wednesday after successfully throwing a simulated game Monday. The three-time All-Star tore his left Achilles tendon April 25.

Pittsburgh (95-62) remained alive in the division race by winning eight straight prior to being one-hit in Sunday's 4-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs. It fell four games back with five to play, however, after stranding 16 runners and finishing 0 for 12 with men in scoring position.

The Pirates became the first team since Montreal in April 1982 to not score in a nine-inning game when drawing at least 10 walks.

"This was tough, because we gave the game away," outfielder Andrew McCutchen said. "A fluke, crazy - call it what you want. But for us not to get any runs with all the chances we had."

Pittsburgh's offense also has struggled in three previous 2015 matchups with Michael Wacha (17-6, 3.15 ERA), who's 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA and allowed two earned runs in six innings in an 8-5 win at PNC Park May 8.

Wacha hasn't been in top form of late, though, posting a 6.75 ERA while splitting his last four starts. He's walked 14 and surrendered five homers in 20 innings during the stretch.

The right-hander did earn his 17th win by holding Milwaukee to three runs in five innings Thursday.

McCutchen is 5 for 9 with a homer off Wacha this season but is hitting .160 over his last eight games.

The Pirates, now 3 1-2 games up on the Cubs for the first wild card after Chicago's win over Kansas City on Monday, put their division fortunes in the hands of Charlie Morton (9-8, 4.54) as he tries to end a lengthy winless drought against St. Louis.

Morton is 0-8 with a 4.76 ERA in 11 meetings with the Cardinals since a road win April 4, 2011. He did pitch well Sept. 9 in Busch Stadium, yielding one earned run and four hits in six innings of a 4-1 defeat.

The right-hander allowed six runs and 10 hits over 4 1-3 innings Wednesday at Colorado, six days after permitting five earned runs through five in a 9-6 home loss to the Cubs.

Mark Reynolds, who homered off Mark Melancon for the final two runs Monday, is 4 for 9 against Morton. Jon Jay, whose single in the ninth scored the initial run on Gregory Polanco's error, is 9 for 22.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cardinals at Pirates
Mon, Sep 28 Final 3 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Cardinals at Pirates
Tue, Sep 29 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Cardinals at Pirates
Wed, Sep 30 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-29-2015, 04:21 AM

Preview: Twins (81-75) at Indians (77-78)
Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: September 29, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Minnesota Twins continue to hang tight in the AL wild-card race as they seek their first playoff berth in five years, even as a virus takes its toll on their clubhouse.

The death knell may have already sounded for Cleveland Indians' slim postseason chances.

The Twins will look to keep pace as they aim for a seventh victory in nine games Tuesday night at Cleveland.

Phil Hughes was scratched from his start in Monday's opener of this four-game series because of a virus that has also affected third baseman Trevor Plouffe and relievers Brian Duensing and Kevin Jepsen. Tommy Milone filled in admirably in his place, yielding two runs over 5 2-3 innings in a 4-2 victory.

Plouffe hit his 22nd homer after sitting out Sunday's win in Detroit.

Minnesota (81-75), which has allowed two runs or fewer in 13 consecutive victories dating to Sept. 2, trails Houston by 1 1/2 games for the league's second-wild card spot.

"The games are dwindling and we're trying to play catch-up, but I think the guys' focus is good," manager Paul Molitor said.

The Indians (77-78) have fallen to five games behind the Astros and their elimination number is down to two. The Cleveland fans don't seem too optimistic, either, based on Monday's 10,007 paid attendance figure.

"We could have come out with more energy and I think we could have done a better job all along in the game," said Jason Kipnis, who hit his seventh triple. "The energy was low in the crowd and there wasn't much energy in our dugout, either. We can't have that."

Kyle Gibson (10-11, 3.96 ERA) gets another shot at Cleveland after getting tagged for six runs and seven hits over a season-low 2 2-3 innings in Thursday's 6-3 loss. Gibson, who fell to 0-2 with a 14.73 ERA in his last three meetings, had been 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in his first three career matchups with the Indians.

The right-hander gave up a homer on the third pitch to Kipnis and another in the third to Carlos Santana after not allowing any in six consecutive outings. He's 8-5 with a 2.54 ERA in 16 starts when not giving up a home run this year.

"The team's relying on me to go out there and put up a couple zeros and give the team a chance to get a lead," Gibson said. "When you don't do that right off the bat after the first batter, it's pretty frustrating."

Cody Anderson (6-3, 3.31) pitched opposite Gibson and won his fourth straight start, having posted a 1.38 ERA during his winning streak. It was much better than his first encounter with the Twins, in which he gave up six runs and five hits over 2 2-3 innings in Cleveland's 10-9 home loss Aug. 7.

Anderson surrendered 10 hits in last week's meeting but was able to limit the damage, aided by the fact that he didn't walk a batter for the first time in nine starts.

"They're just playing great defense behind me, getting some runs for me. I've been pitching with the lead a lot," he said. "I'm just trying to keep the team in the game and win games as much as I can."

Yan Gomes, who is batting .357 during a seven-game hitting streak, is 6 for 11 off Gibson with two home runs and a double.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Indians
Mon, Sep 28 Final 4 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Twins at Indians
Tue, Sep 29 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Twins at Indians
Wed, Sep 30 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Twins at Indians
Thu, Oct 1 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-29-2015, 04:23 AM

Preview: Nationals (80-76) at Braves (62-94)
Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: September 29, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Jonathan Papelbon vs. Bryce Harper scuffle marked an embarrassing moment for a Washington Nationals team that has fallen well short of expectations.

Washington won't have to worry about any more trouble from Papelbon for the rest of the season, and Max Scherzer's latest solid effort helped it head into its road series against the Atlanta Braves starting Tuesday night on a positive note.

The Nationals (80-76) suspended Papelbon four games without pay after he attacked Harper in the dugout late in a loss to Philadelphia on Sunday. The closer also dropped his appeal of MLB's suspension for throwing at Baltimore's Manny Machado on Wednesday, meaning he won't pitch again in 2015.

Harper originally said after the altercation that he was scheduled to have Monday off, but manager Matt Williams said Harper was out of the lineup because of his role in the incident.

'It's been a very difficult 24 hours for the organization,' Williams said prior to Monday's game. 'Incidents like that in the dugout (are) not the way we want to play our games.'

Scherzer helped the Nationals move past it, pitching 7 1-3 innings of no-hit ball in Monday's 5-1 win over Cincinnati. Matt den Dekker homered for the second straight day and is 8 for 13 over his last three.

Washington, which was eliminated from postseason contention after New York clinched the NL East on Saturday, had lost five of six.

The Braves (62-94) can relate to Washington's frustration. They've lost their most games since 1990 and need to win one of their final six to avoid dropping 100 for the first time since '88.

Atlanta was swept in a three-game series at Miami over the weekend, and Freddie Freeman left Sunday's 9-5 loss in the third inning after aggravating a wrist injury that has plagued him most of the season.

Manager Fredi Gonzalez said Freeman is day to day.

"It's been a frustrating season for everybody, from a personal standpoint and team-wise," Freeman told MLB's official website. "Nobody wants this, but I think the gratification of coming out on the other side is going to be that much more fulfilling. When you come back on top after you've fallen, it's a better story."

Matt Wisler (6-8, 5.40 ERA) is part of the rebuilding process after being acquired on the eve of the season in a trade that sent closer Craig Kimbrel to San Diego.

Wisler has had his struggles during his rookie season, but he's posted a 3.79 ERA over his last three after beating the Mets last Tuesday. The right-hander, though, is 1-2 with a 7.62 ERA in three starts and one relief effort against the Nationals.

He last started against Washington on Sept. 3 and gave up a season high-tying seven runs in 1 2-3 innings of a 15-1 defeat.

Tanner Roark (4-6, 4.76) gets the ball for the Nationals and is 0-2 with a 5.68 ERA in four starts since rejoining the rotation this month. The right-hander made his first start in that stretch against the Braves on Sept. 4 and allowed one run in 4 1-3 innings of the Nationals' 5-2 win.

Roark is 3-0 with a 1.91 ERA in six starts and five relief appearances in his career against Atlanta, with Freeman going 9 for 19 with four doubles in their matchups.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nationals at Braves
Tue, Sep 29 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Nationals at Braves
Wed, Sep 30 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Nationals at Braves
Thu, Oct 1 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-29-2015, 04:25 AM

Preview: Cubs (91-65) at Reds (63-93)
Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: September 29, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

While the Chicago Cubs have enjoyed a return to prominence in 2015, the Cincinnati Reds are on the verge of their longest losing streak in 17 years.

The Reds attempt to avoid a 10th consecutive loss Tuesday night when they begin a three-game series with the playoff-bound Cubs.

Cincinnati's late-season woes continued with Monday's 5-1 loss in Washington, where Tucker Barnhart's single off Max Scherzer with one out in the eighth inning prevented the Reds from being no-hit for the first time since 1971. A defeat Tuesday would give Cincinnati (63-93) its worst skid since an 11-game slide June 14-24, 1998, and its most losses in a season since going 66-96 in 2001.

The Reds finished with three hits and struck out 10 times in Scherzer's eight innings.

"There weren't a lot of great at-bats against him. He just had that kind of stuff," Reds manager Bryan Price said. 'It was about as good as I've seen him live.'

Cincinnati, 12-31 since Aug. 14, resides in last place in the NL Central, a position Chicago (91-65) held for five straight seasons prior to its turnaround. The Cubs are locked into the wild-card game and still have an outside chance to host it, trailing Pittsburgh by 3 1-2 games with six remaining.

Chicago has gained two games on the Pirates in the last two days behind a pair of stellar pitching performances. After Jake Arrieta took a perfect game into the seventh inning of Sunday's 4-0 win over Pittsburgh, six hurlers combined for a four-hitter in Monday's 1-0, 11-inning triumph over Kansas City as the Pirates fell 3-0 to St. Louis.

The Cubs also mustered only four hits, the last Chris Denorfia's pinch-hit homer that gave Chicago its MLB-leading 13th walk-off win.

'That was a really well-played game,' manager Joe Maddon said.

Dan Haren (9-9, 4.83 ERA) will attempt to extend Chicago's 21-inning scoreless streak in the opener, though the veteran has labored in two starts since tossing seven innings in a 9-0 win at St. Louis on Sept. 7.

Haren followed by allowing four runs in three innings of a 7-4 loss at Philadelphia Sept. 13 and lasted 4 1-3 while permitting one earned run in Chicago's 8-3 victory over the Cardinals five days later.

The 35-year-old also has struggled on the road in the second half, going 1-3 with a 5.45 ERA while surrendering 12 homers in 38 innings in seven post All-Star break starts. Haren's 31 homers allowed are tied for the third-most in the majors.

Haren has allowed nine homers in 35 1-3 career innings at Great American Ball Park, where he's 2-3 with a 5.09 ERA in six starts. He gave up one and two runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 5-0 loss there with Miami on June 19.

Joey Votto homered off Haren in Cincinnati's 5-4 loss at Wrigley Field on Sept. 1, and reached base for a 45th consecutive game with a walk Monday. The streak is the majors' longest this season and three shy of Pete Rose's club record in 1978.

Josh Smith (0-2, 7.23) gets the call for the Reds in search of his first major league win in his sixth start and first against Chicago.

The rookie has allowed seven runs in nine innings in two no-decisions since rejoining the rotation Sept. 19. Smith allowed three runs while fanning five in five innings Thursday against the New York Mets.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cubs at Reds
Tue, Sep 29 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Cubs at Reds
Wed, Sep 30 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Cubs at Reds
Thu, Oct 1 - 12:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-29-2015, 04:27 AM

Preview: Marlins (69-87) at Rays (75-81)
Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: September 29, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Whether or not it has anything to do with lucky bats, Justin Bour is looking like a slugger the Miami Marlins can rely on alongside Giancarlo Stanton next season.

The first baseman will try to become the third rookie in more than 100 years to homer in four straight games twice in a season Tuesday night when the red-hot Marlins visit the Tampa Bay Rays.

Although it's too late to become a factor in the NL Rookie of the Year race, Bour has emerged as a force in the middle of Miami's lineup. The cleanup hitter went 7 for 12 with four home runs and eight RBIs in a three-game home sweep of Atlanta over the weekend.

The 27-year-old now looks to match the franchise record he already tied June 30-July 3 by homering in four consecutive contests. Since 1914, Minnesota's Jimmie Hall (1963) and Joc Pederson of the Los Angeles Dodgers (2015) are the only rookies to do it twice in a season.

Bour, hitting .375 with seven homers and 17 RBIs over his last 12 games, insists teammate David Phelps has had something to do with this potentially historic stretch.

"The last three days he's picked out a bat for me every day, and I've gone back for him three straight days now and I have home runs," said Bour, second to Stanton (27) on the team with 23 homers.

Bour, who had his first multi-homer game in Sunday's 9-5 victory, will try to help the Marlins to their sixth straight win in the opener of this final six-game road swing. Stanton is making the trip but has not decided whether to play after missing 81 games with a hand injury.

Miami, an MLB-best 17-8 since Aug. 31, hit .385 and totaled 27 runs during its sweep of the Braves.

The Marlins (69-87) could find things more difficult against Matt Moore (2-4, 6.48 ERA). After posting an 8.42 ERA in his first eight starts since returning from Tommy John surgery, the left-hander has a 1.32 mark while striking out 16 over his past two.

"I think for him to be able to go into the offseason knowing that he's back, that he feels really good, that will be a big boost going into the offseason and carrying it into next year," manager Kevin Cash told MLB's official website.

Moore is 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two starts against the Marlins, whom he last faced in 2012.

Tampa Bay dropped both home meetings to Miami last year before taking two of three at Marlins Park in April. The Rays are trying to avoid a fourth straight loss after getting swept at Toronto over the weekend.

Mikie Mahtook has been a bright spot for the Rays (75-81), going 2 for 3 with his sixth home run in Sunday's 5-4 defeat. The rookie outfielder has batted .379 over his 11 games at Tropicana Field.

Rookie left-hander Adam Conley (4-1, 3.93), who has never faced Tampa Bay, will try to improve on his 3-0 record and 2.96 ERA over his last five starts - all Miami victories.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Marlins at Rays
Tue, Sep 29 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Marlins at Rays
Wed, Sep 30 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Marlins at Rays
Thu, Oct 1 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-29-2015, 04:29 AM

Preview: Tigers (73-83) at Rangers (84-72)
Game: 2
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: September 29, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

The Texas Rangers made an improbable run to the top of the AL West, and while their postseason fate is still mostly secure, they're beginning to tempt fate with their latest losing streak.

They'll try to avoid what would be their longest skid in nearly three months by bouncing back with a victory Tuesday night against the Detroit Tigers.

Texas is in position to become just the fifth team in the last 40 years to win its division despite trailing by at least eight games in August. But the Rangers (84-72) have dropped three in a row, largely because of dismal pitching. They've given up 20 runs during the losing streak, and Colby Lewis was hammered for six runs and 10 hits over 4 2-3 innings in Monday's 7-4 series-opening defeat.

Meanwhile, Houston won 3-2 in Seattle, keeping Texas' magic number to clinch the division at five with the Astros 1 1/2 games back. The Los Angeles Angels also won, pulling within two games.

"Worry doesn't do anything," said Prince Fielder, who drove in all four runs and was a triple shy of the cycle. "It just makes everything seem bigger than it is."

Fielder is 9 for 22 with 11 RBIs in his last five games.

The Rangers, who haven't dropped four straight since losing five in a row July 3-8, have to like their chances behind Cole Hamels (5-1, 3.41 ERA). His Texas tenure started in slow fashion with nine runs allowed in his first two outings after being traded, but he's since found his groove, going 5-0 with a 2.78 ERA in eight games, all resulting in Rangers victories.

He allowed an unearned run and four hits over six innings in Thursday's 8-1 win at Oakland. The offense also provided him with six runs of support and has backed him with 25 over his last four games.

Hamels was averaging a career-worst 2.9 runs of support in 20 starts for Philadelphia before being acquired at the deadline, and his 2.7 walks per nine innings marked the second-highest rate of his career.

"It's a very nice feeling because you don't have to be forcing anything," Hamels said of the run support he's received with the Rangers. "You can really just go out there and try to be aggressive in the zone and throw strikes. That's how you win ballgames."

He's 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA in two career starts against Detroit, including a 4-2 road victory Aug. 23 when he gave up two runs over six innings in a 4-2 victory.

Despite being tied for last place with the Chicago White Sox, Detroit (73-83) has performed well in the spoiler role, taking two of three in Minnesota Sept. 14-16 and against Kansas City Sept. 18-20.

Miguel Cabrera will look to continue his dominance of Hamels, having gone 8 for 11 with three extra-base hits previously.

Daniel Norris (2-2, 3.88) gets the nod looking to build off a sparkling performance. He was pulled after only 63 pitches Sept. 22 against the White Sox despite five perfect innings, but he was operating on a pitch count, as it was his second outing since returning from a strained oblique.

Norris is 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA in seven road starts.

Detroit's Victor Martinez is unlikely to play after leaving in the sixth inning Monday. Martinez was nursing soreness in his left quad after running from first to third.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at Rangers
Mon, Sep 28 Final 7 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Tigers at Rangers
Tue, Sep 29 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Tigers at Rangers
Wed, Sep 30 - 8:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-29-2015, 04:32 AM

Preview: Royals (90-66) at White Sox (73-83)
Game: 1
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: September 29, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Kansas City Royals had a rough offensive night on Chicago's North Side but should find things easier as they head to the South Side.

That's because they will face Chicago White Sox starter Jeff Samardzija, who has lost seven straight home outings heading into Tuesday night's three-game series opener.

Kansas City (90-66) fell 1-0 in 11 innings to the Chicago Cubs on Monday in a makeup game to kick-start this seven-game trip to close the regular season. The Royals managed two hits by Mike Moustakas and singles by Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar to match their third-lowest total in a game.

The loss dropped the AL Central champions one game behind East-leading Toronto in the race for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Kansas City slugger Kendrys Morales will likely return to the lineup after not starting the last two games due to a sore ankle.

The Royals have to like their chances of beating Samardzija (10-13, 5.04 ERA), who has posted a 10.01 ERA in his seven-start home losing streak. He's the first White Sox pitcher to lose seven straight home starts since Tommy John in 1969; Paul Gregory was the last to drop eight straight in 1933.

The right-hander is 0-4 with a 7.13 ERA in four career starts against Kansas City with an 8.15 ERA in three this year. Cain and Alex Rios each have gone 4 for 7 off the right-hander this season, and Moustakas has homered twice.

Samardzija fired a one-hitter for his second shutout of the year last Monday in a 2-0 victory at Detroit after losing eight of his previous nine outings. He said he looked at some film to correct his woes.

"I try to be an in-game guy and adjust to how I'm throwing," he said. "I needed to go back to my last couple of starts and see why good pitches were getting tattooed."

Samardzija's 6.61 ERA since the All-Star break is baseball's worst mark, and he owns baseball's fourth-worst ERA overall.

The Royals will give the ball to Johnny Cueto (3-6, 4.99), who gave up three runs in seven innings last Thursday to earn a 10-4 win over Seattle. He had been 0-5 with a 8.10 ERA in his previous six outings.

"Johnny was awesome. A good changeup, good breaking stuff, kept his fastball down," manager Ned Yost said.

The right-hander is 1-1 with a 7.15 ERA in two 2015 starts against Chicago. Alexei Ramirez is 6 for 8 versus Cueto and Melky Cabrera is 6 for 15.

The White Sox (73-83) close the regular season with six games at home after a 4-7 trip. Adam Eaton is their hottest hitter with a .373 average in his last 16 games.

Chicago slugger Jose Abreu is one homer shy of reaching 30 and three RBIs shy of reaching 100. He's trying to join Albert Pujols as the only players in history to reach those plateaus in each of their first two years.

Kansas City has won 10 of 16 in the season series.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at White Sox
Tue, Sep 29 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Royals at White Sox
Wed, Sep 30 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Royals at White Sox
Thu, Oct 1 - 8:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-29-2015, 04:34 AM

Preview: Rockies (66-90) at Diamondbacks (75-81)
Game: 1
Venue: Chase Field
Date: September 29, 2015 9:40 PM EDT

The Colorado Rockies have scored the most runs in the NL, have the league's second-best batting average and need Carlos Gonzalez to hit one more homer to make him and Nolan Arenado the first teammates with 40 apiece in nine years.

None of that has prevented Colorado from sitting at the bottom of the NL West finishing out a third 90-loss season in four years.

The Rockies look to win a fourth straight game for the first time in 2 1/2 months when they begin a three-game series at the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.

It's no secret that Colorado (66-90) has one of the most potent offenses in baseball, led by Arenado's 41 homers and NL-high 126 RBIs. Those numbers likely would give him more votes for NL MVP if the Rockies hadn't struggled most of the season.

Arenado homered and had four RBIs in Saturday's 8-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he drove in a career-high five while hitting a three-run shot as Colorado completed a three-game sweep of the West leaders with a 12-5 victory Sunday.

It's on the verge of its first four-game winning streak since July 9-12.

'We get frustrated when you look back at it,' Arenado said. 'Better you lose track of it and try to push forward and look to the future.

'I know there are ups and downs in the season. But this year, we had a little bit more downs than up."

Gonzalez went 7 for 13 in the series and homered in the first two games. His next long ball would make him and Arenado the majors' first teammates with at last 40 homers since Jermaine Dye and Jim Thome of the 2006 Chicago White Sox.

Arenado has gone deep six times this season against Arizona (75-81) and Gonzalez homered twice with a career-high seven RBIs as the Rockies won the last meeting 9-4 on Sept. 2.

The Diamondbacks have won five of the seven matchups in Arizona, and they're returning home after a 6-4 road trip. Ender Inciarte homered twice and went 4 for 5 in Sunday's 4-2 victory over San Diego.

'This is the best game I've played in the big leagues,' Inciarte said. 'It's fun to win games, and when you can help in this way, you remember them for a long time.'

Arizona would have to win out to finish exactly .500 for the third time in four seasons. It sends Robbie Ray (5-12, 3.53 ERA) to the mound in this contest as he looks to continue his solid run.

Ray has gone 2-2 with a 2.39 ERA in five starts since Aug. 31, when he gave up one run and struck out eight in 5 2-3 innings against the Rockies. He pitched his second scoreless outing in that stretch last Tuesday, striking out seven in six innings of an 8-0 win over the Dodgers.

'Everything was working," Ray said. "I was down in the zone and just pounding strikes."

The left-hander beat the Rockies 5-1 on May 6 with six solid innings in his only other career start against them. He'll oppose Christian Bergman (3-1, 4.62), who made his first start in more than five months Wednesday and gave up seven runs and 10 hits in 3 2-3 innings of a 13-7 loss to Pittsburgh.

The right-hander has given up seven runs and 14 hits in 10 innings over five games out of the bullpen against the Diamondbacks this season. He went 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in two starts against Arizona in 2014.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockies at Diamondbacks
Tue, Sep 29 - 9:40PM EDT

GAME 2
Rockies at Diamondbacks
Wed, Sep 30 - 9:40PM EDT

GAME 3
Rockies at Diamondbacks
Thu, Oct 1 - 9:40PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-29-2015, 04:36 AM

Preview: Brewers (66-90) at Padres (73-83)
Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: September 29, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Having been saddled with their first 90-loss season in 11 years, the Milwaukee Brewers are making the most of a chance to see what they have in the minor leagues.

At the same time, their hobbling slugger is taking this opportunity to prepare for back surgery.

After shutting down Ryan Braun, the Brewers will give the ball to highly touted prospect Jorge Lopez in the opener of a three-game road series against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.

Milwaukee (66-90) is going for its first back-to-back wins since Sept. 5 after earning a four-game split at St. Louis with an 8-4 victory Sunday, as Jason Rogers delivered a pinch-hit grand slam in the ninth inning.

That came a day after the club reached 90 losses for the first time since going 67-94 in 2004. With the focus on next season, Braun has decided not to risk further damaging a herniated disc that's he expected to have repaired next month. He had played in four of the past 11 games, going 0 for 11.

"Taking everything into consideration - where we're at in the season, how many games we have left - we felt it was the right choice," the six-time All-Star told MLB's official website.

The Brewers have also gone to an all-rookie rotation as they try to figure out who might stick in 2016.

Lopez, ranked the team's eighth-best prospect by MLB's official website, has earned an opportunity after being named Milwaukee's minor league pitcher of the year. He went 12-5 with a 2.26 ERA at Double-A Biloxi, finishing second to teammate Tyler Wagner in the Southern League ERA race.

The right-hander will face a San Diego team that totaled eight runs in dropping two of three to visiting Arizona over the weekend.

The Padres (73-83), who are 3-3 on their nine-game homestand, send Tyson Ross (10-11, 3.17 ERA) to the mound. The right-hander has allowed three or fewer earned runs in 29 of his 32 starts but hasn't won in his last four despite a 2.52 ERA, as he's received seven runs of support.

Ross has posted a 1.97 ERA over his last five outings and recorded 20 strikeouts in his past two. The 2014 All-Star is 5 2-3 innings away from matching his career high of 195 2-3, set last season.

"I had to reinvent myself a little this year and add a new pitch with the cutter," he said. "As the league adjusts to you, you need to adjust back to it. I'm happy now with my innings."

Ross, 3-1 with a 3.33 ERA in four starts against the Brewers, picked up the only victory when San Diego (73-83) lost three of four at Miller Park from Aug. 3-6. He gave up two earned runs over six innings of a 13-5 win to open the series.

Adam Lind has gone 5 for 6 with a home run against Ross and is 15 for 32 in his last seven games against the Padres. Khris Davis, who homered twice Sunday, is 3 for 6 with a homer off Ross.

San Diego's Wil Myers is expected to return after sitting Sunday due to a sore left wrist, while Yangervis Solarte's status is less certain because of a strained right hamstring.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Brewers at Padres
Tue, Sep 29 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Brewers at Padres
Wed, Sep 30 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Brewers at Padres
Thu, Oct 1 - 6:40PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-29-2015, 11:54 AM

Preview: Dodgers (87-69) at Giants (82-74)
Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: September 29, 2015 10:15 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers blew their first chance in this four-game set at AT&T Park to clinch a third straight NL West crown.

They would normally like their chances with Clayton Kershaw pitching next, but that may not be the case since he's going up against San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner in this marquee matchup.

The Giants are 3-0 when these star pitchers have squared off this year and will look to improve to 8-0 at home against the Dodgers and stave off elimination again Tuesday night.

Los Angeles' magic number to clinch the West remained at two after losing 3-2 in 12 innings Monday. San Francisco (82-74) improved to 10-6 in the season series on pinch-hitter Alejandro De Aza's sacrifice fly.

The Dodgers (87-69) have dropped four straight and eight of 10.

'Everyone wants to get another win and we're playing as good as we can,' Dodgers starter Zack Greinke said. "We're playing really focused baseball and maybe that's the key. I think it's more just playing as good as we can and not focusing too much on that."

That sets the stage for the fourth 2015 matchup between Kershaw (15-7, 2.25 ERA) and Bumgarner. Bumgarner (18-8, 2.88) is 2-0 with a 1.31 ERA this year against Kershaw, who is 0-2 with a 3.54 ERA in those starts.

"It's going to be a great matchup between these two guys and we'll come out and play the same way, we'll see what happens," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

Kershaw won the last time he faced the Giants, matching a career high with 15 strikeouts in a six-hitter in a 2-1 home win Sept. 2. His 1.61 ERA against them is his second-best mark versus an NL club and his 1.26 ERA at AT&T Park is his second-best in any NL stadium.

Buster Posey is 6 for 13 against Kershaw this year after hitting .183 against the left-hander prior to it.

Kershaw is 10-1 with a 1.36 ERA in his last 14 starts, with nine wins since the All-Star break. He leads the majors with 281 strikeouts.

Bumgarner also has nine wins since the break and a career-best 228 strikeouts.

The Giants left-hander makes his third bid for a career-high 19th victory after going 0-1 with a 2.40 ERA in his last two starts. He seeks to become San Francisco's first 19-game winner since Shawn Estes in 1997.

Bumgarner lost his most recent start versus the Dodgers, yielding two runs in seven innings in a 2-1 defeat Sept. 1.

Adrian Gonzalez, who returned Monday after missing two games because of a pinched nerve in his back, is a .150 hitter off Bumgarner. Jimmy Rollins is at .179 and Andre Ethier is at .125.

Manager Don Mattingly may give Scott Van Slyke a start since he's 9 for 24 versus Bumgarner, including 5 for 11 this year.

Bumgarner leads all pitchers with a career-high five homers and nine RBIs. He's 2 for 13 off Kershaw, who is 3 for 12 versus him.

The Dodgers are enduring their longest slide in San Francisco since losing a franchise-worst nine straight there June 12, 1961-April 16, 1962. The Giants have outscored them 25-8 in this run.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Giants
Mon, Sep 28 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Giants
Tue, Sep 29 - 10:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Dodgers at Giants
Wed, Sep 30 - 10:15PM EDT

GAME 4
Dodgers at Giants
Thu, Oct 1 - 3:45PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-29-2015, 11:55 AM

Preview: Athletics (65-92) at Angels (82-74)
Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: September 29, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Angels are playing some of their best baseball of the season at the right time, but still don't control their own playoff destiny.

They can tie their longest winning streak of the season Tuesday night when they host the Oakland Athletics.

Los Angeles (83-74) won its sixth straight and ninth in 11 games with a 5-4 victory in Monday's opener, led by Albert Pujols' 38th homer - his most since 2010 - and David Murphy's bases-loaded single in the ninth inning. The Angels' 17-8 record this month is tied with Toronto for the best in the majors, but they're still one half-game behind Houston for the AL's second wild-card spot after the Astros also won Monday. Minnesota is also lurking, only one game behind Los Angeles.

"We've got a great group of guys with a lot of character in here," Murphy said. "Just a never-say-die attitude, and the results truly reveal the character of this team. People say it's not how you start, it's how you finish. We're finishing strong."

The Angels can match their season-best seven straight wins from July 12-22 on Tuesday behind Nick Tropeano (2-2, 4.50 ERA) as he fills in for Matt Shoemaker, who is nursing a strained forearm. Tropeano has been solid, if unspectacular, in his last two starts, allowing two earned runs over 9 1-3 innings. He'll try to replicate his season debut from April 23 when he threw six innings in a 2-0 victory against the Athletics.

Los Angeles bolstered the depth of its beleaguered pitching staff Monday by signing Mat Latos a day after he cleared waivers following his release from the Dodgers. Latos, who was 0-3 with a 6.66 ERA in six games for the Dodgers after they acquired him from Miami, will likely work in long relief duty.

The starting rotation and bullpen are both depleted with injuries to Shoemaker, Jered Weaver, Huston Street and Joe Smith.

"Some guys on our pitching staff have been stretched, they've pitched a lot, and we especially need rotation depth with Shoemaker up in the air," manager Mike Scioscia told MLB's official website. "Latos gives us an option and some depth, and we'll see how we use him this week."

Oakland (65-92) is ending its disappointing season on an especially sour note, losing eight of nine. Monday's defeat increased the Athletics' club-record one-run loss total to 34.

'When you play close games like that, sometimes (mistakes) will show up,' A's manager Bob Melvin said. 'We've seen it often this year. It comes down to us not getting a big hit late in the game, or making an error and them getting a big hit.'

Chris Bassitt (1-7, 3.07) makes his second start since returning from a strained shoulder that sidelined him nearly a month, and Oakland is hoping it goes better than the first. He needed 73 pitches to make it through three-plus innings Thursday against Texas, giving up three runs in an 8-1 loss.

"It was important for him psychologically and physically to be back out there and perform," Melvin said after last week's loss. "They made him work and made him throw a lot of pitches."

Bassitt threw two perfect innings of relief in Oakland's 6-3 loss to the Angels on April 29.

Danny Valencia was back in the lineup Monday after leaving Sunday's loss to San Francisco when he was hit by a pitch on the elbow, but went 0 for 3.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Athletics at Angels
Mon, Sep 28 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Athletics at Angels
Tue, Sep 29 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Athletics at Angels
Wed, Sep 30 - 7:05PM EDT

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